Conventionally, a carrier tape has been used for supplying components onto nozzles of a transfer head of a component mounting apparatus. The carrier tape includes a base tape in which a plurality of depressed or embossed recesses accommodating components are arranged in a tape length direction and a top tape which is pasted on the base tape so as to cover the plurality of recesses having the components accommodated therein. The carrier tape is fed in the tape length direction, and the top tape is continuously removed from the base tape of the moving carrier tape so that the components in the recesses of the carrier tape can be serially sucked by the nozzles of the transfer head of the component mounting apparatus.
For example, in a component supplying apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the carrier tape is entered into a body part of the component supplying apparatus in a tape length direction through a tape entering port, and then fed along a tape path placed in the body part toward the underside of a component supply port. Specifically, a sprocket wheel engages with feed holes of the carrier tape at a position near the component supply port and then rotates, consequently the carrier tape is fed from the tape entering port to the component supply port. The nozzles of the transfer head pick up components from the carrier tape in the body part through the component supply port.
The component supplying apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 also includes a top tape removing part positioned on the upstream side in a tape feeding direction of and near the component supply port. The top tape removing part have an edge for removing the top tape from the base tape of the carrier tape moving in the tape length direction. The top tape removing part also is located on the tape path in the body part. The edge of the top tape removing part enters from the front end side of the moving carrier tape into between the top tape and the base tape in the tape length direction, consequently the top tape is continuously removed from the base tape.